When comparing adoption agencies, attorneys, consultants, & facilitators, it is important to
understand their differences, pros and cons before choosing an adoption professional.

Adoption Agencies

An
adoption agency
is a licensed business that places children in adoptive homes.
They are staffed by trained professionals and are regulated by the state. Adoption
agencies often provide an extensive range of services pre and post placement
including preparing adoption home studies, matching adoptive families with expectant
mothers, and providing counseling and support for birth mothers. Many agencies
also provide counseling for adoptees and adoptive parents. Be sure to ask the
adoption agency you choose for an outlined list of services they provide.

Adoption Attorneys

Adoption attorneys
are experts in adoption law. They represent private and
independent adoption cases. An adoption attorney files the adoption paperwork,
oversees the adoption case, and finalizes the child placement process. Adoption
attorneys handle the legal process, but do not generally locate birth parents
for clients. Some may assist by placing ads online, in newspapers, and within
social groups for their clients that are hoping to adopt.

Adoption Facilitators

Adoptive parents with high and flexible budgets often desire the swiftest form
of adoption to expand their family by hiring an
adoption facilitator.
Adoption
facilitators connect hopeful adoptive parents with expectant mothers considering
adoption and serve as an intermediary between both parties. Depending on the state,
you will discover that many adoption facilitators are not licensed—and some states
have laws against the use of adoption facilitators. Facilitators offer minimal
to no support other than matching an expectant mother and an adoptive family.
Once an expectant mother selects a family, the adoption facilitator refers them
to a licensed adoption professional to finish the adoption process.

Adoption Consultants

Adoption Consultants
educate clients and assist them through the adoption process.
They generally work with a number of agencies and attorneys and refer clients to
them. They also give advice and feedback on creating adoption profiles. Adoption
Consultants act as unbiased partners, and with their experience in the field can
review adoption opportunities and discuss possible risks with clients. They also
offer emotional support as well as answer questions and guide clients through the
uncertainty of the process.